Justin Jenkins is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. He continued his education at Arizona State University, where he earned his Masters Degree in Music Education (Choral Emphasis).

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Mr. Jenkins has been a music educator for the past 21 years. During this time, he has taught at the middle school and high school levels in the states of Arizona and Tennessee. His teaching experience ranges from starting new choir programs in schools to working with groups that tour regionally and internationally. In his most current position, he serves as the director of choirs at Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where his groups have toured and performed in various festivals in Arizona, California, and New York.  Mr. Jenkins also serves as the director of Bravo (a high school group) in the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, a position he has held for the past three years.  

In addition to his role as a public school educator, Mr. Jenkins was a staff member for the Arizona Ambassadors of Music, an organization that toured with some of the top Choir and Band students in the state of Arizona through England, France, Italy, Austria, and Germany. Mr. Jenkins has also served as a clinician in the Arizona Choral Educators Junior High School Festival, as well as the Dysart Unified School District’s Junior High Honor Choir, The Dysart Unified School District’s High School Honor Show Choir, the Deer Valley Unified School District’s Junior High Men’s Honor Choir, and the Tempe Elementary School District’s Junior High Honor Choir.  

Outside of rehearsing and performing in choir, Mr. Jenkins enjoys spending time with his wife, Erin, and his two children, Ava and Justin Jr. In addition, Mr. Jenkins is a huge sports fan and enjoys attending sporting events with his family.

Troy Meeker, Phoenix Children’s Chorus Artistic Director, has taught with the organization since 2011. Mr. Meeker is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned a Bachelor’s in Music Education, and Master’s degrees in Educational Technology and Choral Conducting while studying under Dr. Edith Copley and Dr. Ryan Holder. Mr. Meeker taught for 15 years at the middle, high school, and collegiate levels most recently as the Choir Director at Trevor G. Browne High School, a thriving urban choir program which he helped grow to over 350 singers.

Mr. Meeker enjoys the opportunity to serve. Having served the Arizona choral community in a variety of positions he is currently the AzACDA Youth Repertoire and Resources Coordinator. In addition, he serves nationally as a member of the Artistic Advisor Council for Choirs of America. He also enjoys mentoring young educators, guest lecturing, and providing professional development workshops for districts throughout the state.

Mr. Meeker is an in-demand presenter and clinician. He has presented at the Western Division and Arizona Choral Directors Association (AzACDA) Conventions as well as the Arizona Music Educators (AMEA) Convention on topics ranging from rehearsal techniques to technology integration in the choral classroom. He has served as a clinician and judge for festivals with Arizona Choral Educators (ACE) and AzACDA, as well as a conductor for various honor choirs throughout Arizona.

Mr. Meeker was recently recognized for his outstanding teaching winning the O.M. Hartsell Excellence in Teaching Music Award from the Arizona Music Educators Association and the Arts Educator of the Year Award from the Arizona Department of Education. In addition, his choir Encore performed for the AMEA Convention in 2020 marking the 3rd performance appearance of ensembles under his direction.

In his free time, Mr. Meeker enjoys watching movies, cooking, cycling, and studying karate. His home is in Glendale, Arizona, with his wife, Adrienne, and their children Grant and Annika.

Jordan Rakita is the director of the Phoenicians, a premier barbershop chorus in the Metro Phoenix area and also serves as the director of the tenor/bass ensemble Canticum Bassum at Arizona State University where he is pursuing a doctoral degree in Choral Conducting. 

Rakita is indebted to his early educators, Randy Pagel and Kim Ritzer, who helped form a deep love of choral music, performing at the National ACDA Convention and encouraging him to attend Northern Arizona University with Dr. Edith Copley. While in Flagstaff, he pioneered a tenor/bass ensemble with the Flagstaff Youth Chorale where he served as Associate Director. This pursuit was the result of his time in The Westminster Chorus, a barbershop chorus he participated in, taking first at the Barbershop Chorus Competition in 2010 in Philadelphia. In 2015, Rakita completed a Master of Music in Choral Conducting as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education at NAU. During this time, he served as the director of the University Singers, a 100 voice mixed ensemble. He also studied voice with Dr. Ricardo Pereira and Dr. Judith Cloud, who both impacted his understanding of vocal pedagogy immensely. He was able to use this tutelage while he held the position of voice instructor at the Curry Summer Music Camp teaching private lessons and master classes as well as courses in musical theater and music theory.

In his time in Phoenix, Rakita has been fortunate to continue pursuits as a performer. He was thrilled to be a part of the Grammy-award winning Phoenix Chorale under Charles Bruffy. He also sang in Helios, a unique early music vocal ensemble made up of seven voices. As an educator, Rakita has an array of experience as a middle school and high school director, with the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, Heritage Academy and Gilbert Christian High School. He is a sought after clinician, and is looking forward to conducting the Nevada Middle School Honor Choir this fall. 

He is grateful to his parents and stepparents, Bob and Andrea Rakita and Patti and Rick Lucchesi for their love and support. He is married to Kayla, who is an English teacher at ASU, and they are the parents of Ruby and Milo.